2023 Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools
Finding the Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics School for You
Foreign Languages & Linguistics is the #24 most popular major in the country with 33,333 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 247 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Colleges.
Top 25 Top Schools in Foreign Languages & Linguistics
Our 2023 rankings named Bucknell University the best school in the United States for foreign languages and linguistics students. Located in the distant town of Lewisburg, Bucknell is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
On average, foreign languages and linguistics graduates from Bucknell take out $23,250 in student loans while working on their degree.
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The excellent programs at University of Notre Dame helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best foreign languages and linguistics schools in the United States. Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Notre Dame.
The average amount in student loans that foreign languages and linguistics majors at Notre Dame take out is $19,000.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means College of Saint Benedict is a great place for foreign languages and linguistics students. Located in the suburb of Saint Joseph, CSB is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Foreign Languages & Linguistics majors at CSB take out an average of $22,250 in student loans while working on their egree.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Colgate University is a great place for foreign languages and linguistics students. Colgate is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Hamilton.
Foreign Languages & Linguistics majors at Colgate take out an average of $17,084 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Methodist University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools list. SMU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Dallas.
Foreign Languages & Linguistics majors at SMU take out an average of $18,740 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Colby College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. It came in at #6 on the list. Colby is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Waterville.
Foreign Languages & Linguistics majors at Colby take out an average of $18,940 in student loans while working on their egree.
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With a ranking of #7, Hamilton College did quite well on this year’s best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. Located in the suburb of Clinton, Hamilton is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that foreign languages and linguistics majors at Hamilton take out is $16,500.
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Duke University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best foreign languages and linguistics programs. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.
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University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best foreign languages and linguistics programs. Mizzou is a fairly large public school located in the city of Columbia.
Foreign Languages & Linguistics majors at Mizzou take out an average of $20,293 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #10 on this year’s Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools list. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
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University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools list. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public college with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, foreign languages and linguistics graduates from University of Virginia carry an average student debtload of $17,500.
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With a ranking of #12, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on this year’s best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. Located in the distant town of Whitewater, UW - Whitewater is a public school with a large student population.
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University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the small city of La Crosse, UW - La Crosse is a public school with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, foreign languages and linguistics majors at UW - La Crosse accumulate an average of around $25,864 in student debt.
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Brandeis University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools ranking. Brandeis is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Waltham.
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With a ranking of #15, Denison University did quite well on this year’s best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. Located in the suburb of Granville, Denison is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their degree, foreign languages and linguistics majors at Denison accumulate an average of around $24,375 in student debt.
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Clemson University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools ranking. Clemson is a very large public school located in the suburb of Clemson.
After completing their degree, foreign languages and linguistics graduates from Clemson carry an average student debtload of $22,838.
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Wake Forest University landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best foreign languages and linguistics programs. Wake Forest University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem.
The average amount in student loans that foreign languages and linguistics majors at Wake Forest University take out is $20,807.
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Lake Forest College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools list. Lake Forest is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Lake Forest.
While working on their degree, foreign languages and linguistics majors at Lake Forest accumulate an average of around $26,474 in student debt.
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Iowa State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. It came in at #19 on the list. Iowa State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Ames.
The average amount in student loans that foreign languages and linguistics majors at Iowa State take out is $26,250.
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Georgetown University landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best foreign languages and linguistics programs. Located in the large city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, foreign languages and linguistics majors at Georgetown accumulate an average of around $16,710 in student debt.
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Wellesley College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. It came in at #21 on the list. Located in the suburb of Wellesley, Wellesley is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, foreign languages and linguistics graduates from Wellesley carry an average student debtload of $10,000.
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Tufts University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools list. Located in the suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, foreign languages and linguistics graduates from Tufts carry an average student debtload of $16,000.
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Virginia Tech landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best foreign languages and linguistics programs. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public college with a very large student population.
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With a ranking of #24, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on this year’s best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. Located in the city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public college with a very large student population.
Foreign Languages & Linguistics majors at Texas A&M College Station take out an average of $18,053 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Vassar College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. It came in at #25 on the list. Vassar is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Poughkeepsie.
The average amount in student loans that foreign languages and linguistics majors at Vassar take out is $19,000.
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Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for Foreign Languages & Linguistics students that almost earned our Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 38 | Salisbury University | Salisbury, MD |
| 39 | College of the Holy Cross | Worcester, MA |
| 40 | Wofford College | Spartanburg, SC |
| 41 | Calvin University | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 42 | University of California - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| 43 | Minnesota State University - Mankato | Mankato, MN |
| 44 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL |
| 45 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA |
| 46 | University of Minnesota - Duluth | Duluth, MN |
| 47 | University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire | Eau Claire, WI |
| 48 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL |
| 49 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh, PA |
Foreign Languages & Linguistics by Region
View the Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Foreign Languages & Linguistics Rankings
Foreign Languages & Linguistics Related Rankings by Major
Foreign Languages & Linguistics Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Romance Languages | 15,009 |
| Linguistics & Comparative Literature | 8,539 |
| American Sign Language | 2,724 |
| East Asian Languages | 2,293 |
| Classical Languages & Literature | 1,428 |
| Germanic Languages | 1,425 |
| Slavic, Baltic & Albanian Languages | 607 |
| Middle Eastern Semitic Languages | 607 |
| Foreign Language, Literature & Linguistics (Other) | 500 |
| Second Language Learning | 108 |
| Southeast Asian & Pacific Languages | 38 |
| South Asian Languages | 24 |
| Native American Languages | 16 |
| African Languages | 4 |
| Iranian & Persian Languages | 4 |
| Celtic Language & Literature | 4 |
| Greek Language & Literature | 3 |
Majors Similar to Foreign Languages & Linguistics
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities | 556,813 |
| Visual & Performing Arts | 149,215 |
| English Language & Literature | 54,635 |
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 27,459 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 19,993 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to John Stephen Dwyer.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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